Fort Scott ? The Fort Scott Tribune has been sold to Rust Publishing MO-KS, publisher Frank Emery said.

Rust Publishing, from nearby Nevada, Mo., is a division of Rust Communications, a family-owned newspaper company based in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Rust Communications has 19 dailies and 31 weeklies in eight states, and is part owner of 17 radio stations in Missouri and Illinois.

The Fort Scott newspaper had been in continuous family ownership since its founding in 1884.

“It was important to me — as I approached my decision on choosing a buyer of the newspaper — that we are handing the newspaper over to a family who has shown over and over they care about people and they care about the community the newspaper serves,” Emery said in announcing the sale. “Rust has established a legacy which is rare in the industry.”